Diabetes & Cholesterol Management

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the body does not process glucose, or blood sugar, correctly. Processing blood sugar relies on a hormone called insulin. In some cases, the body does not produce enough insulin; in others, the body doesn't use insulin correctly. In some people, both conditions can occur. When sugars are not processed, organs don't get the energy they need to function properly and sugars build up in the blood. Diabetes requires careful management of blood sugar and insulin to avoid organ damage, diabetic shock or even death.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

Diabetes has two primary types – type 1, which usually occurs in childhood, and type 2, which usually develops in adults, most of whom are overweight. The most common symptoms include:

• frequent urination

• feeling very tired

• blurred vision

• numbness or tingling in hands and feet

• feeling hungry even after eating

• cuts that are slow to heal

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a substance that's necessary for many body functions and processes. Some cholesterol is manufactured by the body and some comes from food. When we have too much of so-called bad cholesterol (LDL, or low-density lipoprotein) or too little “good” cholesterol (HDL, or high-density lipoprotein), we can develop serious medical problems, including atherosclerosis (“hardening” of the arteries), heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

How is high cholesterol managed?

If a blood test reveals you have high cholesterol, there are medications that can help you lower your levels and keep them under control. In addition, there are lifestyle changes you can make, including eating a diet low in saturated fats and high in fiber, getting more exercise and losing weight, that can help lower your levels of “bad” cholesterol as well.